How much do drywall installers make in Minnesota in 2026?

The median drywall installer in Minnesota earns $61,290 per year, which works out to roughly $29.47 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 release, and reflects what a mid-career installer with steady commercial or residential work can expect to bring home before overtime or benefits.

The bottom quarter of drywall installers in Minnesota — those newer to the trade, working part-time, or in slower regional markets — land at or below $57,950 annually, which is about $27.86 per hour. That's not poverty wages, but it's not a lot of cushion either, particularly if you're paying for your own tools and transportation. Installers in this range are typically within their first few years on the job or working for smaller subcontractors with thinner margins.

The top quarter clears $77,600 per year, around $37.31 per hour. That's where experienced finishers who can hang and tape large commercial projects — hospitals, schools, multi-family residential — tend to land. Speed and quality both matter here. A finisher who can hang 2,500 square feet a day and produce Level 5 finish work without callbacks is worth significantly more to a GC than someone still finding their pace.

The spread between the 25th and 75th percentile is roughly $19,650 per year. That's a meaningful gap, and it doesn't happen by accident. The installers at the top of the range have typically built specific skills: metal framing, fire-rated assemblies, curved or specialty work, or the ability to lead a small crew and coordinate directly with other trades. Any one of those capabilities can move you out of the bottom tier.

Minnesota's construction season compresses into roughly eight to nine months of heavy activity, with winter slowing exterior work considerably. Interior drywall is one of the trades least affected by cold weather, since most commercial and multi-family work continues year-round indoors. That gives drywall installers a more consistent schedule than some outdoor trades, but it still means overtime peaks in spring and summer when GCs push hard to close out projects. Overtime hours at time-and-a-half can meaningfully lift your annual take-home above the figures shown here, which are based on straight-time wages.

Geography within Minnesota matters. The Twin Cities metro — Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs — carries the highest volume of commercial construction and the most competitive wages. Projects in Duluth, Rochester, and St. Cloud also generate steady work, though the pipeline is smaller and wage pressure is somewhat lower. Rural areas see the least activity and the flattest pay. If you're willing to drive or relocate for large commercial projects, your effective hourly rate goes up simply by keeping utilization high.

The BLS figures here capture base wages reported by employers. They do not include the value of employer-paid health insurance, pension contributions, or tool and vehicle allowances — benefits that vary widely by employer and can add thousands of dollars in annual value. Some drywall installers in Minnesota work under a collective bargaining agreement; if that applies to you, the pay and benefit structure is set in your local's agreement, which you should review directly rather than relying on statewide averages.

To push your pay toward the 75th percentile, the most direct path is finishing skills. A hanger who can also tape and finish to a high standard is more valuable than one who can only hang. Beyond that, OSHA 30 certification, first-aid training, and experience with Blueprint reading or project layout make you easier to promote to lead or foreman roles, where pay frequently exceeds the published installer scale. Some installers also move into estimating or project management for drywall subcontractors, which can push compensation well above the $77,600 threshold shown here.

TradesPays pulls these figures directly from BLS OEWS data and will update them as new surveys are released. Check back for updated numbers as the next survey cycle closes.